Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spray gun for coating, which is used for spraying a coating liquid to a coating target, such as an electrophotographic photoconductor, to form a coating film, and a spray coating device and a method for producing an electrophotographic photoconductor, both of which uses the spray gun.
Description of the Related Art
As for a coating method for forming each layer constituting a process target, such as an electrophotographic photoconductor, dip coating has been conventionally employed. However, spray coating has been often used recently (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2005-315963, 2006-227179, 2008-70809, and 2011-125769). Spray coating is a method where a coating liquid in the form of mist is sprayed from a spray gun to a coating target to form a coating film. This spray gun shears a coating liquid supplied from a coating liquid nozzle with high-speed air (referred to as “atomizing are” hereafter). The coating liquid turned into mist is blown to a coating target along with the atomizing air. The atomizing air passes through a flow channel, which is formed between a coating liquid nozzle and an air (flow channel forming member) cap provided to surround the coating liquid nozzle, and is supplied to the tip of the coating liquid nozzle to thereby shear the coating liquid supplied from the coating liquid nozzle to atomizing the coating liquid (turning the coating liquid into mist).